AJ_Ortega

Angélio follows a glowing butterfly through a portal to an enchanted world where he'll have to find a way to save himself and an unsuspecting city from destruction. ♧♧♧All Angélio Moya wants for his thirteenth birthday is to hang out with his papá--like they used to. But instead, his work-for-a-living dad forgets Angélio's big day and hosts a meeting disguised as an office party at their house. Devastated but determined, Angélio flees to the backyard to sharpen his nonexistent fútbol skills in a last-ditch attempt to catch his dad's attention. Angélio's mood brightens when a glowing butterfly appears and leads him through a portal to the enchanted world of Realania. There, the butterfly transforms into a human-like creature named Roende. The two become fast friends after Roende offers to solve all of Angélio's problems.Their exciting adventures, filled with treasure hunts and encounters with fantastic beasts, eventually lead to Angélio discovering Roende's dark secret. Angélio will have to decide if he is willing to risk the fate of an entire city to make his dreams come true. ♧♧♧This is an ONC 2023 novella based on Prompt: 29. "When you touch a mirror, it ripples like water. You dive in."…

AJ_Ortega

Javier has had a crush on his friend, Caroline, for the last two years. But he's never told her how he feels. One morning, Javi decides to take Caroline on an adventure he hopes she'll never forget, even if it might land him in jail. *******It's the last summer before university, and Javier Giordano is in Monaco, spending most of his time on his dad's yacht. But for Javi, the best part about being in Monaco is getting to see Caroline. They're just friends, but he wishes they were more. One night, Javier throws a party on the yacht, and things were going well until he danced with a girl who Caroline cannot stand. It was a momentary lapse in judgment, helped by some beer, but now he wants to make it up to her. So while Caroline is asleep in his room, Javi comes up with a plan to go on an adventure around the Mediterranean Coast. But on their impromptu trip, Javier, Caroline and their friends discover more than they bargained for.-----*Open Novella Contest 2020 Longlister*Open Novella Contest 2020Based on Prompt #11: We woke up and had breakfast out on the deck; like we did every morning. And long story short, we are no longer welcome in Monaco.…

AJ_Ortega

Not that it really matters now, but that night I said I didn't like you like you like me, I didn't mean it.Damian Pryce thought he was over his ex-girlfriend, Celia Diaz, until he rediscovered the notebook where he put down in words how he really feels about her. But Celia is still high-key mad about why Damian broke up with her. So getting her back is going to take some serious hustle.With some help from his homeboy, Damian comes up with a plan to become Celia's secret admirer, who sends her heartfelt love letters drawn from the notebook. Damian hopes his romantic verses will make Celia fall in love with the guy hiding under the mask of high school social expectations. If he fails to get another shot with the girl he loves, Damian will have to live with the pain of what could have been.--Like You Like Me is featured on the TeenFiction - Head Over Heels Reading List…

AJ_Ortega

Junior year looks promising for Britney Kerry, especially the possibility of becoming head cheerleader. And that's good but, Britney really wishes she could meet a werewolf or a vampire or both; she's not picky. The issue is, she's pretty sure her beloved Wolfville High is devoid of such creatures. But things take a fantastic turn when three new guys show up at school. Eventually, the evidence starts piling higher than a pyramid of cheerleaders, and Britney becomes convinced that two of these new arrivals are more than just handsome faces.…

AJ_Ortega

A banished knight writes sonnets addressed to a maiden with raven hair. It is unknown whether these sonnets have ever reached their intended recipient. Attempts to destroy these romantic poems have been unsuccessful as they are protected by a mysterious enchantment. Thus the ones that have been found are collected and kept here for those who wish to know their contents.…

AJ_Ortega

A collection of short stories (all under 500 words) for various writing prompts. The majority of the stories were for Aim to Engage 2019.…

AJ_Ortega

Raúl just received a personal invite to a party at Drake's Toronto mansion. Under normal circumstances, Raúl would be pumped to attend, but not this time. It's a well-known fact that Drake is cursed. Taking pictures with him is guaranteed to cost you a game or in this case, the NBA Title. With his bro, Kevin, breathing down his neck to attend the festivities, Raúl needs to find a way out that won't ruin his friendship or insult his favourite rapper.Aim to Engage 2019 Sport Prompt Winner.Feel free to check out the anthology where I originally wrote this story: The Last Emperor of México and Other Stories.…